DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine
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Designing Independent Learning Assignments
(Formerly known as “homework”)
Janet M. Riddle, MDDirector of Faculty Development
Department of Medical [email protected]
DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine
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Today’s goals
Develop assignments that prepare students for instruction
Select activities that allow students to achieve learning objectives
Sequence instruction that provides reinforcement of learning
DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine
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Why do we give “homework” assignments? What do we know
about what – or how – our students prepare for class?
Or how they study for class?
DME Collaborative for Active Learning in Medicine
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Independent Learning Assignments: A Learner-Centered Perspective
Weimer, 20027
What skills do your learners most need in order to master the content that you are teaching?
Weimer, 20028
Content allows the development of learning skills Process of making
judgments
Problem analysis
Problem solving
Critical appraisal
Weimer, 20029
Content can promote the self-awareness of learning
How learners learn
Their strengths and weaknesses
Meta-cognition
Merrill, 200211
To make instruction effective . . .
Situate learning in real-life problems
Build on previous experience
Demonstrate what is to be learned
Give learners the opportunity to practice problem-solving
Reinforce learning through transfer of learning to new problems
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Situate learning in real-life problems What kinds of
problems will allow your learners to develop the learning skills they need?
What kinds of activities might you use?
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Build on previous experiences
How might you sequence learning activities or assignments?
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Give learners the opportunity to practice problem solving Generate examples
Ask questions
Answer questions
Summarize discussion
Solve problems
Construct diagrams
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Reinforce learning through transfer of learning to new problems
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What did you learn today that you plan to use in your teaching?
Bransford, 200019
Three core learning principles
Learning builds on prior knowledge
Teachers must identify and work with pre-existing knowledge and understanding learners bring with them
Bransford, 200020
Three core learning principles To develop competence, learners must
Have a deep foundation of factual knowledge
Understand facts & ideas in context of conceptual framework
Organize knowledge to facilitate retrieval
Teachers must teach some material in depth; provide conceptual frameworks